It's soccer and this...

When we are not at soccer games, Izzy is at the kitchen table doing her homework. She is hanging out with yesterdays' newspaper, the syrup from breakfast, my artwork from the night before and several drinking glasses that a certain 10 year old likes to NOT clear from her meals.

You are probably wondering HOW we eat our meals. I make everyone clear a little spot for themselves at our table that can seat 6, but most of the time barely seats 4.

I want my kids to not have any pressure about living in a pristine environment. I want them to be free of any control issues about cleanliness. I want them to have no order in their life. I want them to be...

Who am I kidding? Someone better fold these clean clothes before I blow my top! Why is the ironing board out? You all know we do not iron anything as a rule! Come on! Why do I even buy throw pillows? So you can throw them on the floor? I don't think so!

I am all for being casual, but this is out of control. I would like 1 nanny and 1 housekeeper please. And maybe a new house while we are at it. I am pretty sure if I had more closets, we would have less things out for everyone to see. Wait...maybe if we had less THINGS!

I guarantee you that at this moment, Morrie is wishing I had posted about anything other than our ability to not maintain a clean home during the fall craziness that we call our world.

Isn't there a Sounders game on that I have to go watch? Aren't I supposed to drive back to Vancouver in 2 weeks? AND then again the week after that? I bet we could totally have those clothes folded by...December some time. I swear!

The Happiest Place on Earth

I frequently mention to people that I believe the happiest place on earth is Quest Field. Maria and I went to the home opener in March- where we got drenched with rain (but loved every minute of the 2-0 win). It was only fitting that we went back and closed out the season together. We have our routine down to a science, what we bring, where we park, how early we arrive, the discussion of the game strategy...

Come with us, we will show you! First we walk to the field and discuss anything unusual about the team we are up against, who we would like to see play, who is on the injured list, and what we expect of the players.


Then we listen to a little live music.

Okay, normally, there is no live music. However since Friday was the last home game, and Fan Appreciation Night, it was a special treat. Normally we get our picture taken at the Pemco photo van. I will have to share those sometime.

We get to our seats and watch them hose down the turf. If the turf is too hot, or too dry, it becomes sticky. We don't want it to be sticky because it causes trouble for the players. Especially those with mad foot skills- like our left wing, Steve Zakuani.

Then we watch Terry Boss -the back up goalie- warm up. Then Keller comes out and warms up- I love to watch him jump up and punch the ball out of the box.

Then we watch the other players come out and warm up and see who is starting and discuss the 5 players that are on the bench and who will most likely be 1 of the 3 subs that the coach will make. Then I sum up our decision with the head coach, Sigi Schmid, and then I offer the players post game massages.

No I don't. That would be akward. I don't want to assume I know more than Sigi- I let him make his own decisions.

This picture shows the Golden Scarf Ceremony. One person who has contributed or made a big impact on the local soccer community is honored at each game with a Golden Sounders Scarf. The person who received it on Friday was Hope Solo. Maria was so excited!

Hope Solo is from Kirkland, and won an Olympic Gold medal, and is the best keeper in the WPS. Instead of the General Manager giving her the scarf, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado presented it. He is one of our favorite players who sadly tore his ACL 2 months ago. We haven't seen him since, so it was awesome to see him walking around. (and we make fun of the white pants that the 2 girls wear who carry the Golden Scarf up to the stage).

Then, up in the rafters they unveiled the new "2010 Open Cup Champions" banner, and the 2 Open Cup trophies that the club has were on display. Suuuuupppper cool for this soccer nerd.

We began my favorite cheer- where all 36,000 fans clap together as the teams walk in. It is astonishingly loud and I loooove it!

Someone else I know loves it too.

Then fireworks go off because it is the happiest place on earth and my heart swells and another game kicks off.

...sigh...

Who?

I have a teenager. I have girls. Thus we listen to all kinds of music from Katy Perry to Black Eyes Peas, to Justin Beiber to Taylor Swift.

I will never forget my first conversation involving Justin Beiber:
(Justin Beiber song playing in background)

Me: Who sings this song?

Izzy: Oh, that's Justin Beiber.

Me: Justin Beaver?

Izzy: Yeah.

Me: BEAVER?

Izzy: No Mom, Justin Bei-Ber.

Me: That's what I said, Justin Beaver.

Izzy: Beeeee-Beeerrr Mom. B-E-I-B-E-R. The letter B. BEHR.

Me: Bee-ber?

Izzy: Yes, Mom, Justin Beiber (her eyes might have been rolling into the back of her skull at this point).

Me: That's a dumb name, it sounds like Beaver.

(Izzy walking away)

I might have beeen mumbling to myself, "Beiber? Who would keep a name like that? It rhymes with Beaver, and who would want THAT last name? Beiber sounds stupid. It sounds like a 12 year old girl. I wonder what she looks like."

Conversation taking place upstairs, "Oh my gosh Maria, Mom is so weird".

Road Trip #2

While Izzy and I were on road trip #2, this was happening at home.

The dog had her butt right on the arm of the chair. She was also licking the window. As you can tell, our home is the picture of health, cleanliness and order.

The cat was lovin on this baby doll. This is really his baby doll now. He Rubs his face against the baby's hands and feet at least 26 times a day.

That baby really loves him.

When I got to the first of our 2 game - roadtrip- kill me now- weekend, this is what I got to watch:

HEEEEY!

Stop makin my kid be goalie already! I didn't bring my Nitroglyceride. Nitroglycerine? Nitro something. Baby asprin? Baby shoes? I don't know, but I wasn't prepared for this.

I would say the pushing is about 50/50 here.

The game was so one sided, that Izzy, as the right back, was deep into the offensive corner, getting ready to cross to the forwards.

If you didn't understand anything I just wrote, it's ok. I still like you. However, we will be conducting soccer terminology 101 and 102 over the course of the next 3 weekends. Teacher bribes are welcome.

(I like french fries)

See this one? The is a millisecond before the girl slapped Izzy in the neck. The same girl just pushed Izzy face down into the mud. Of course, it was puring down rain.

Umm.....maybe before you decide to throw yourself into my kid, you could open your eyes and PLAY THE BALL!

Can I just tell you that it is 9:41 pm right now and Izzy is juggling the stinkin ball in the family room over and over and over and OVER? Is there never a moment of silence anymore? I do believe someone's sister is trying to sleep.

Now this is the fun part, after playing for over an hour in the pouring rain and mushy mud, Isabelle climbed in the car and we drove 3 hours to the hotel to get ready for the next days' game. The car didn't stink AT ALL.

Right.

The hotel is where we had the following conversation:

"Mom, do you have celiac disease?"

"Well, probably, but I can't get tested for it anymore."

"Why? Is it because you're too old?"

"Izzy, isn't time for you to go wash your jersey in the sink or something?"

I had to go out and get a heart monitor. Because I am so old. And because she keeps doing this:

I don't really have a heart monitor. That would be silly.

Here is a picture of my heart, running around, making my throat tighten and my eyes well up.

Stop growing up already. And stop calling me OLD.

Now, give me your fries.

Tattoos and the Sherwood Forrest

These are fast feet. They are 10 years old. They make a statement. They say "I am not a fan of pink running shoes". They say "My mom has to take me to a special store to avoid the pink running shoes".

This is the cross country team's logo.

Personally, it feels like the winning takes place at the finish line.

The kids get to race in the Sherwood Forest. It is cute, idyllic and full of 1000 people on the other side.

Here is Morrie being conned into a volunteer job. He had to record times as the kids crossed the finish line. See what I mean about the winning at the finish line?

Here is one of Maria's favorite part of race day. Hanging out with her girlfriends. I never realize how many freckles she really has until she stands next to someone without any.

Here are the girls placing tattoos on their friends face.

And talking about EVERYTHING that has happened in the 36 hours since they saw eachother last.

Remember what I said about 1000 people? I wasn't kidding. Here is just the girls in Maria's grade running- there were 50 of them (and this is just half the schools- the other half ran earlier that day!).

You HAVE to run with ankle socks that don't show, and your shirt tied up in back. Otherwise you won't be as fast. Or as fashionable. Please remember that this is the girl who came down to the kitchen when she was 4, not wearing the clothes I had laid out for her, but wearing all black. She then went on to say how she had been wanting to wear all black to preschool for quite some time.

Who?

What?

All black?

Yes, we have this moment on video.

It's a big personality in that little body.

Girl, looking at this makes me tired! 1 mile, full on.

And that's how you finish in 10th place out of 50.

And this is my other child, completely ignoring my existance for unknown reasons. She is in the white sweatshirt. Not talking to anyone. Just standing there. But definitely NOT sitting with her mom and her sister.

And this is why I can't sleep at night

Soooo....Isabelle and I arrive in Pasco. She finds her friends at the hotel and I am left watching tv alone in the room.

Hey! This ISN'T so bad after all!

She is gone for a while as the girls are gathering for a team meeting somewhere. Who cares? I am watching TLC- uninterrupted!

She finally returns. She says "Umm...guess what mom? You know how we don't have any goalies for tomorrow? Well...I...ummm...volunteered to be one".

Then she picked me up off the floor and slapped my face a little. She may have splashed water on it as well.

Possibly.

Mostly probably.

And so she did.

Against the team currently in 1st place.

Here is our main goalie (see the concussion she has?) teaching Izzy everything she needs to know about being a goal keeper 30 minutes before the game. Because Isabelle has NEVER been one before! I have never allowed it!

The sun was in her eyes.

I wasn't watching.

Morrie wouldn't let me text him. He didn't want to know.

I was praying that there was no player on the other team who was fond of rushing the goalie.

See my heart palpatations?

Okay, phew! She made it back to the field.

You may be wondering why there aren't very many pictures of Maria. She is wondering as well. I haven't seen her play lately because first she was in Yakima, and then I was in Pasco. Morrie only had his imaginary camera with him. It is pretty hard to view those pictures. I heard they went to the fair before her soccer game and had a roaring good time.

Stinkers. We didn't do anything fun like that in Pasco!

Road Trip!!

Isabelle and I went on a road trip this past weekend. It was a girls getaway. Real bonding time.

Okay, okay, it was for a soccer game.

And it was just to Pasco. But that is still a road trip. Look, I even let her drive my moms car!

But I told her she had to get out to text her friends.

She ended up being part navigator and part photographer. Okay. Less navigator, and more like- took 200 pictures out the windows while I drove- photographer.

I am now the proud owner of 23 pictures of this hill. And of that silver car.

Look, the leaves are starting to change color! It was 80 degrees in Pasco, it was summmmmer.

Then we saw something weird up ahead.

What is that?

Uh-oh.

I know what it is.

It can only be one thing

Dementors!!

Seriously. What else could it be? I was afraid to drive into it. What would be on the inside?

It just looks like it's not going to be something good.

Hold on. It could be a some marshmellow creme. It does kind of look similar. I don't think it's driveable though.

You have no idea how many pictures she actually took of this.

Ooooohhhhh.

It's just Seattle in there. That's all.

Summer on the outside. All gooey, cold and mushy on the inside.

Stay tuned to find out what happened while we were IN Pasco.